Malta

[sailaboutvic]

Some time if you find a gem it's best to keep it to yourself , but as an long time cruiser I do believe in sharing .
we have cruise Malta hundred of times over the years but never had a winter stop over , last year we decided it time we did .
We have now spend three months in Msida Marina ,
at one time this was a winter stop for many ,
but since the Sicilian Marina popped up not many winter here any more .
Berths are limited although there Seen to be able to fit boats in .
If you plan to stay for the full six winter months , it more expense then Ragusa and Licata but for tho who only stopping for a few months it's good valve .
Msida offers CA members a discount too . ( got that in for you Tony Cross )
Every pontoon has a security gate that unless you have an key there no way anyone can enter , water and power on each pontoon, water quality is good ,
On a months to months base if better valve .
The Marina is well Protected and each boat has two bow lines .
Showers and toilet are limited only two of each but with only five full time liveaboard it's not been a problem , we have always found steaming hot water and clean toilets and shower .
The Marina staff are very good and friendly , throughout the day boats are checked .
There are many chandlers and you can get. Almost every thing here .
The supermarkets stock British food , so if you want marmite, bistro , or just soups mix you can't buy else where , you find them here .
The airport is an 20 euros taxi ride .
Like everywhere else it has it down side .
The traffic along the main road can be off putting ,
but I can honesty say within a very short time you won't notice it any more .
It's also been reported over the years that the odd boat have had rats on board .
Each day a guy comes around and put down poison in boxes , there also a small group or wild cats to keep any rats away , we haven't seen any and not heard of any problem .
If you plan to leave the boat you do need someone to look after it who the Marina can contact . There is a Dutch guy who for a small fee will look after the boat .
The island haven't many anchorage but enough to keep most people happy .
The winter weather is mild although it can be wet at times in Jan Feb although this isn't what we found ,
Reading reports from people in marinas Sicily over the winter ,
I have no doubt we had much better weather and we only 55 miles away .
There only been a small liveaboard community with odd boats passing through .
for us it made a nice change , no Marina politics.
For tho who want the buzzing winter Marina community this isn't for you .
But if your looking for a very relax winter , Malta hits the spot .
We are about to start our 2017 season in a week or so .
Have a good season guys and be safe .

 

[Orange]

Thank you for your very useful & interesting report.

 

[JamesFrance]

We were there for the winter of 69/70 stern on to Manoel island costing 14 shillings and six pence per week. There was no electricity so we uses paraffin for light heat and fridge and we had to haul out from the quay during a Gregale which you can just see sent a swell along the quayside which was very uncomfortable. There was a local policeman with a hut at the entrance who we got to know well enough to invite him to join our Christmas party on board with a few other yachties.

 

[Carmel2]

How did you find getting around town Vic? I ask because when we went we were land based and everything seemed to be quite spred out and chock a block traffic.

 

[multihullsailor6]

I've spent three winters in Malta, on the hard at MIYY Manoel Island Yacht Yard. The Maltese have a very good public bus system which will get you anywhere though you might have to take a detour via Valletta first. Occasionally I would use a taxi for ease. There are special buses running to and from the airport. From the airport you can also take a shared taxi/bus to your destination, it will take a little longer but, in my case, was half the taxi fare.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I've spent three winters in Malta, on the hard at MIYY Manoel Island Yacht Yard. The Maltese have a very good public bus system which will get you anywhere though you might have to take a detour via Valletta first. Occasionally I would use a taxi for ease. There are special buses running to and from the airport. From the airport you can also take a shared taxi/bus to your destination, it will take a little longer but, in my case, was half the taxi fare.

Yes the buses are very good , 1.50 euros for two hours , take as many buses as you want .
Share taxi are still available as you said . Or the X 4 from Valletta .
We had to deal with an gregale a few times but it wasn't a problem here in Msida Marina .

 

[Richard10002]

I was in Malta Oct 07 to June 09, and found bus and car hire were cheap and easy. never found it choc a bloc and, when someone local said the Honda Dealer in the middle of the island was a long way from Portomaso, I replied that "it cant be more than 17 miles can it?"

 

[chinita]

Some time if you find a gem it's best to keep it to yourself , but as an long time cruiser I do believe in sharing .
we have cruise Malta hundred of times over the years but never had a winter stop over , last year we decided it time we did .
We have now spend three months in Msida Marina ,
at one time this was a winter stop for many ,
but since the Sicilian Marina popped up not many winter here any more .
Berths are limited although there Seen to be able to fit boats in .
If you plan to stay for the full six winter months , it more expense then Ragusa and Licata but for tho who only stopping for a few months it's good valve .
Msida offers CA members a discount too . ( got that in for you Tony Cross )
Every pontoon has a security gate that unless you have an key there no way anyone can enter , water and power on each pontoon, water quality is good ,
On a months to months base if better valve .
The Marina is well Protected and each boat has two bow lines .
Showers and toilet are limited only two of each but with only five full time liveaboard it's not been a problem , we have always found steaming hot water and clean toilets and shower .
The Marina staff are very good and friendly , throughout the day boats are checked .
There are many chandlers and you can get. Almost every thing here .
The supermarkets stock British food , so if you want marmite, bistro , or just soups mix you can't buy else where , you find them here .
The airport is an 20 euros taxi ride .
Like everywhere else it has it down side .
The traffic along the main road can be off putting ,
but I can honesty say within a very short time you won't notice it any more .
It's also been reported over the years that the odd boat have had rats on board .
Each day a guy comes around and put down poison in boxes , there also a small group or wild cats to keep any rats away , we haven't seen any and not heard of any problem .
If you plan to leave the boat you do need someone to look after it who the Marina can contact . There is a Dutch guy who for a small fee will look after the boat .
The island haven't many anchorage but enough to keep most people happy .
The winter weather is mild although it can be wet at times in Jan Feb although this isn't what we found ,
Reading reports from people in marinas Sicily over the winter ,
I have no doubt we had much better weather and we only 55 miles away .
There only been a small liveaboard community with odd boats passing through .
for us it made a nice change , no Marina politics.
For tho who want the buzzing winter Marina community this isn't for you .
But if your looking for a very relax winter , Malta hits the spot .
We are about to start our 2017 season in a week or so .
Have a good season guys and be safe .

Thanks for that Vic.

We were there a while ago (2002/3) and there were a few issues.

The Malta Maritime Authority would not allocate winter berths until after the Middle Sea Race. Racing yachts had priority.

They also imposed an additional charge in those living aboard 'full time'. For that reason, a number of crews baled out for a week or so half way through the contract.

Whilst personally not really bothered with party or social stuff it was a little bit jobsworth when the MMA stopped the Sunday rooftop BBQ because of 'fire risk'. The explanation that Liveaboard yachtsmen were acutely aware of, and averse to, fire cut no ice.

Are the roaches still there?

We found that the families of fishermen on the quayside at Msida pushed off at dawn leaving crap behind them which encouraged all kinds of vermin from ants to rats.

After a month we moved to Mgarr on Gozo. Swelly, but much more peaceful. We were the only full time Liveaboard there and the local supermarket would deliver our order free of charge. Car hire was about £5.00 a day as I recall. We also adopted a lovely stray dog 'Snowy' who slept on the pontoon next to the boat. He is probably still scrounging scran from visiting boats as I type!

Another past time of ours was knocking over the little stone perches the local 'hunters' had placed on the top of dry stone walls in order to get a better shot at the venomous sparrows which landed upon them.

Hey ho......

In spite of all that, I would go back.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Thanks for that Vic.

We were there a while ago (2002/3) and there were a few issues.

The Malta Maritime Authority would not allocate winter berths until after the Middle Sea Race. Racing yachts had priority.

They also imposed an additional charge in those living aboard 'full time'. For that reason, a number of crews baled out for a week or so half way through the contract.

Whilst personally not really bothered with party or social stuff it was a little bit jobsworth when the MMA stopped the Sunday rooftop BBQ because of 'fire risk'. The explanation that Liveaboard yachtsmen were acutely aware of, and averse to, fire cut no ice.

Are the roaches still there?

We found that the families of fishermen on the quayside at Msida pushed off at dawn leaving crap behind them which encouraged all kinds of vermin from ants to rats.

After a month we moved to Mgarr on Gozo. Swelly, but much more peaceful. We were the only full time Liveaboard there and the local supermarket would deliver our order free of charge. Car hire was about £5.00 a day as I recall. We also adopted a lovely stray dog 'Snowy' who slept on the pontoon next to the boat. He is probably still scrounging scran from visiting boats as I type!

Another past time of ours was knocking over the little stone perches the local 'hunters' had placed on the top of dry stone walls in order to get a better shot at the venomous sparrows which landed upon them.

Hey ho......

In spite of all that, I would go back.

It sounds as if you were moored on the wall near Manuel island .
Trying to get a berth until the middle sea rally race has always been a problem in Malta , over the years when we been here we always anchored out .
BBQ I think have been ban everywhere in Malta along the coast and beaches you can see signs , although that's don't seen to stop the Maltese from having them .
Roaches is something we alway aware off , and do our best to keep them of the boat , I think the warm winter climate doesn't help , although we not seen any over the winter .
Rats must had been a problem here at one time , as I said there poison boxes every were and a guy comes around every day .we seen no sign of any but we do have a cat on board plus we're we are moored there about six wild cats around , although they are well fed by a women so I not sure if they bother to chase mice of rats .
The only really problem here in Malta is the traffic , there just too many cars , although I have to say , it does keep moving , some how .

 

[overstag]

I live in Malta and I know of at least one British registered liveaboard who spends his winter here anchored in local bays. So no rats, roaches or marina troubles. Seems very doable. It does get windy here every now and then, but there's always a sheltered bay nearby.

 

[<152587>]

James, I was there about that period, engineer on Salammbo, did some work on Blue Leopard (same family) and went on Caramba doing a sea trial for prospective purchaser. No rat prob but remember the girl in Bridge Store regularly cracking roaches underfoot, that was the local corner shop!
Saw the juke box open in a bar, many inches of roach bodies in the bottom and a liberal dose of Shelltox prior to shutting the lid.
The hut where the Policeman sat was also the mail box if I remember correctly.
Do you remember any of the characters around then?

 

[chinita]

I live in Malta and I know of at least one British registered liveaboard who spends his winter here anchored in local bays. So no rats, roaches or marina troubles. Seems very doable. It does get windy here every now and then, but there's always a sheltered bay nearby.

That is exactly what we said we would do if we ever wintered there again. Just keep a good eye on the weather and you can always find a bay in the Lee of the land.

I can think of three bays within about 30 minutes from Mgarr on Gozo which provide shelter from three quarters and another one from four quarters (if that is possible!) - the anchorage is at a dog leg from the the entrance and I remember we met a German couple who had been there for several weeks.

The other thing I remember was regularly taking the Malta to Gozo ferry which was always full of schoolkids glued to their mobiles. This was in 2002 so God knows what they are like now!

And, FWIIW, my missus used to complain that the Malteser wimmin didn't wash their hands after going to the bog :ambivalence:

 

[Carmel2]

I know this is off topic, but why does it so much to ship goods between Malta and Sicily?

 

[overstag]

Is "cost" the missing verb?

I would guess it is because of the monopoly of the ferry company.
The car ferry is very expensive to Sicily. So, that must make transportation the big moneydrain. Can't think of anything else.
It's cheaper to get our IKEA stuff from The Netherlands than it is from Sicily.

There are many restaurants here where there is no possibility to even wash your hands. And the staff use the same facilities..... But that's in many places south of the Rhine river..;-)

 

[Carmel2]

Yes cost is the missing verb, but you knew that anyway.

 

[multihullsailor6]

Have a look at https://www.shiplowcost.com - I've had good experience with them in the past for shipping bulkier goods to Malta.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I know this is off topic, but why does it so much to ship goods between Malta and Sicily?

This doesn't just apply to Sicily and Malta .
I wanted a hour meter from the UK , hour meter cost £25 the carriages £18 , told them to keep it .

 

[fliti]

That is exactly what we said we would do if we ever wintered there again. Just keep a good eye on the weather and you can always find a bay in the Lee of the land.

I can think of three bays within about 30 minutes from Mgarr on Gozo which provide shelter from three quarters and another one from four quarters (if that is possible!) - the anchorage is at a dog leg from the the entrance and I remember we met a German couple who had been there for several weeks.

The other thing I remember was regularly taking the Malta to Gozo ferry which was always full of schoolkids glued to their mobiles. This was in 2002 so God knows what they are like now!

And, FWIIW, my missus used to complain that the Malteser wimmin didn't wash their hands after going to the bog :ambivalence:

I am planning to cruise to Malta this June and would love to have more information about your anchorages in gorgeous Gozo. Are we talking about the bay west of Mgarr and the fjord a bit further along? How deep is it and how is the holding, please?

Any other recommended anchorages around Malta would be much appreciated. Vic, I have been tod you can still anchor off Msida yacht club. Please can you confirm?

many thanks!

 

[sailaboutvic]

I am planning to cruise to Malta this June and would love to have more information about your anchorages in gorgeous Gozo. Are we talking about the bay west of Mgarr and the fjord a bit further along? How deep is it and how is the holding, please?

Any other recommended anchorages around Malta would be much appreciated. Vic, I have been tod you can still anchor off Msida yacht club. Please can you confirm?

many thanks!

West of Mgarr harbour is Mgarr Ix- Xini bay , its long and narrow , we have been in there some years ago and it's shallow enough to anchor but with a big boat I wouldn't , there not much room and it can be packed with small local boats .

West of that there inlet a large rock split the entrance in half ,
once in side it becomes a large bay , cliff on all side , good place to anchor although strong winds from the west you need to get out . Nothing there other then a few fishing-man huts and lots of peace and quiet .

On Comino opposite Mgarr there a couple of spots . Blue lagoon but it get very pack with tour and local boats , to the east there two bays , one with an hotel , we tend to anchor in that one .
On the south side of blue lagoon you find another bay , good anchorages .

On Malta there quite a few I just going to list the ones we alway use .
Paradise bay on the north west is a good spot , restaurant nice beach and not far is the Gozo ferry , also just south of it is Ramla bay nothing there but a good spot , it also handy to go by dinghy to popeye villages .
After that on the west coast there nothing but it's a nice sail down passing Dingli cliff .
The southern end of the island there marsaxlokk , one of my favour places , it's a large bay split into two , to the starboard there Marsaxlokk , it a fishing village , with a small street maker , quiet little villages ,
week day there a small street market ,
but come Sunday the market grown to take up the whole water front buzzing with people , lots of restaurant and cafes you can anchor in the bay , there also a small jetty some time you can find a spot there ,
To the port as you enter there Birzebbugia, also known as petty bay ( well it was once ) now the container port take up a big part of it , but you can still anchor off the sand beach of petty bay , finding a spot in between the mooring buoys , most are died buoys , the town also have a street market once a week , plenty of shop , restaurant and bars . Buses to Valletta.
On the East coast just going North there some fish farm , if you go in side them you find a lovely bay , again nothing there but a great anchorage it you like quiet .
Some five North you find Valletta harbour , its mostly Marina although some have find a place to anchor out side the buoy , one spot you can is in Rinella bay , it's the first bay as you enter the harbour , there a small village at the end of the bay ,
Right next to Valletta harbour there Marsamxett , again this harbour split in to , with Manuel in the middle ,
to the starboard of Manuel island you find Sliema water front , the whole place is foul badly unless you want to lost your anchor I wouldn't anchor , but you can some time pick up a buoy belonging to the tour boats but be ready to move if they ask you ,
It can be very busy with traffic here .
To the port of Manuel Island you find three Marina , Manuel island Marina , Roland Marina and Msida Marina , Msida is the cheapest also Malta Royal yacht club has pontoon out in the summer , to answer your question , if you can still anchor of Msida Marina , Roland have taken over much of the anchorage there now , so not really although you might just get away with it if you can find a spot , but I guess they will move you as soon as they see you anchoring .
These are the spot we use , but there quite a few others on the NE coast although I used them in the pass we don't any more as you can get quite a swell in most of them .
I just updated Noonsite about the Marina at Msida .
Enjoy Malta after visiting the Island for over 40 years we still do
It has its up and down side but so do every where else .

 

[chinita]

I am planning to cruise to Malta this June and would love to have more information about your anchorages in gorgeous Gozo. Are we talking about the bay west of Mgarr and the fjord a bit further along? How deep is it and how is the holding, please?

Any other recommended anchorages around Malta would be much appreciated. Vic, I have been tod you can still anchor off Msida yacht club. Please can you confirm?

many thanks!

Nothing more to add to Vics comprehensive guide. Makes me wish I was there!

Only to say that I am sure it gets busy in season but I can't recall sharing an anchorage in winter with more than one other boat.

Also, if you spend any time in Mgarr be aware of the swell from the Gregale; it can be viscious. We scrounged a couple of scooter tyres as snubbers which helped. Local fishermen couldn't believe we were actually living on board during some of the worst days.